Abandoned Building Turned into Giant Chalkboard to Collect Hopes

Candy Chang turned the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood into a giant chalkboard that invited people to write down what they aspired to do before they died.

Reactions to the giant board entitled, “Before I Die” were scratched in chalk across the surface many times — and later erased — in a touching tribute to honesty.

“From the funny and creative to the thoughtful and heartbreaking, the responses have made me laugh out loud and also tear up,” writes Chang on her blog. “Stories from passersby hit me hard in the heart, and the worldwide response to this project has been incredible.”

Due to the enthusiastic response, we’ve created a Before I Die Toolkit with a stencil and guide to help you create a wall with your community.

The building, in New Orleans, was purchased in April, so the project came to an end last week. However, Chang recently helped install a wall in Portsmouth, NH, and will soon be installing a wall in Mexicots. The legacy of the original wall is documented in photos at CandyChang.com.